It’s time for Merida recycling program to resume — expert

Merida, Yucatan — Residents were urged to re-visit a household recycling program that failed years ago.

The president of the College of Chemical Engineers of Yucatan, Alan Garcia Lira, said it is time to resume separating plastics, bottles and cans from other garbage at home. But he urged authorities to prepare for a final destination for the trash.

A state legislator, Silvia Lopez Escoffie, warned that Yucatan’s citizens create an alarming amount of garbage. Merida alone generates 800 tons of trash daily, all going to just one municipal landfill, which is not designed to treat plastics, bottles.

In a previous effort, much of the population did not cooperate when asked to separate their garbage, said Garcia Lira. The program was soon abandoned.

The academic also said that the state should treat discarded medicines and batteries separately.